Mounting for spindle-bearing housings of textile machines



Aug. 26, 1969 E. F. SCHMID MOUNTING FOR SPINDLE-BEARING HOUSINGS 0F TEXTILE MACHINES Filed April 26. 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

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E. F. sea-mm Aug. 26, 1969 MOUNTING FOR SPINDLE-BEARING HOUSINGS OF TEXTILE MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 26. 1968 6, 1969 E. F. SCHMID 3,462,937

MOUNTING FOR SPINDLE-BEARING HOUSINGS OF TEXTILE MACHINES Filed April 26. 1968 5 sheets sheet 3 Mama 6W United States Patent Int. Cl. D01h 7/54,-F16e 35/00 US. Cl. 57-130 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A textile machine has a structure for optionally providing an elastic or rigid mounting for a spindle-bearing housing. A spindle rail is formed with an opening passing therethrough, and a spindle-bearing housing extends with clearance through this opening and carries a shoulder-ring or flange. A support means engages the flange to support the spindle-bearing housing on the spindle rail and has at least a single elastic part and at least a single rigid part. The support means normally assumes a position where the elastic part thereof provides an elastic support for the spindle-bearing housing. A fixing means is displaceable between a fixing and a non-fixing position and, when in its non-fixing position, permits the elastic part to provide the elastic mounting for the housing. However, when the fixing means is in its fixing position it fixedly connects the rigid part of the support means to the spindle rail to eliminate the action of the elastic part of the support means.

Background of the invention The present invention relates to textile machines.

In particular, the present invention relates to spinning and twisting machines, and more specifically to structure for mounting a spindle-bearing housing on a spindle rail of such a machine.

In the mounting of such spindle-bearing housings on a spindle rail, a distinction is made between a rigid mounting and an elastic mounting of the housing. As far as certain types of textile spindles, such as heavy drawingtwisting spindles and the like, are concerned, experience has shown that at low speeds of revolution the best operations are achieved with a fixed mounting of the spindlebearing housing. On the other hand, at high rotary speeds (over approximately 8000 r.p.m.) an elastic mounting of the spindle-bearing housing is of greater advantage. This is especially the case when considerable unbalance is encountered with a spindle which carries a relatively heavy load, and it is required that this unbalance be absorbed by the spindle-bearing housing.

For the above reasons it has already been proposed to situate between the spindle-bearing housing and the spindle rail an elastic body which will absorb the unbalance and will provide the required smooth operation for the spindle.

However, it is often required that one and the same machine, particularly in the case of draw-twisting machines, be operated to produce different types of yarn. When operating with a material which is twisted or spun at relatively low speeds only, it is important to provide ice a fixed mounting for the spindle-bearing housing on the spindle rail. If it is then required that the same machine work with a material which permits a high speed of the spindle, then it is necessary for the spindle to have an elastic mounting, which requires the machine to be converted in an expensive and time-consuming manner to accommodate such an elastic mounting.

Summary of the invention It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to provide a structure for supporting a spindlebearing housing in such a way that it will be suited for all speed ranges while eliminating the expensive and timeconsuming operations involved in converting conventional structures from elastic to rigid mountings and vice versa.

More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide for a structure of the above referred to type a simple means which can be quickly and conveniently moved between a position which will provide a fixed mounting for the spindle-bearing housing and a position which will provide an elastic mounting thereof, so that the time-consuming conversion of a machine between such mountings can be eliminated.

In accordance with the invention the spindle-bearing housing is supported by a support means which has an elastic part and a rigid part and which normally assumes a position where the elastic part provides an elastic support for the housing. A fixing means is displaceable between fixing and non-fixing positions. In the non-fixing position of the fixing means, the support means supports the spindle-bearing housing by way of the elastic part. However, when the fixing means is displaced to its its fixing position it provides a rigid fixing of the rigid part of the support means with respect to the spindle rail so as to eliminate the influence of the elastic part of the support means.

Brief description of drawings The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings which form part of this application and in which:

FIG. 1 is a partially sectioned elevation of one possible embodiment of a structure of the invention, shown in its position on a spindle rail, providing an elastic support for a spindle-bearing housing;

FIG. 2 shows the structure of FIG. 1, providing a fixed support for the spindle-bearing housing; and

FIG. 3 is a partially sectioned elevation showing another embodiment of the invention, providing a fixed support for the spindle-bearing housing.

Description of preferred embodiments Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, and initially to FIG. 1, there is illustrated therein a spindle rail 1 which is formed with an opening 2 passing therethrough. It is to be understood that such openings 2 are distributed all along the spindle rail 1, as is well known. A spindle-bearing housing 3 extends with clearance through each opening 2, as is conventional, and the spindle structure carried by the housing 3 as well as the structure for rotating the spindle are conventional and are, therefore, neither illustrated nor described.

The spindle-bearing housing 3 fixedly carries a shoulderring or flange 4. The lower portion of the housing 3 has an exterior thread all the way up to the flange 4.

A support means coacts with the shoulder 4 to support the housing 3 on the rail 1, and this support means includes an inner rigid component 5 in the form of a ring surrounding the housing 3 and engaging the flange 4 in the manner shown in FIG. 1. The support means includes further an elastic intermediate ring 8 fixed to and surrounding the rigid component 5 of the support means. Finally, the support means includes a third or outer ring 6 surrounding and carrying the elastic intermediate ring 8. Suitable bolts 7 maintain the outer ring 6 of the support means permanently fixed to the rail 1.

A nut 9 is carried by the exterior thread of the spindlebearing housing 3 and has a tubular extension 10 also threaded on the housing 3 and adapted to be pressed against the underside of the inner rigid component 5 which, in turn, presses against the flange 4, thus holding the support means against the flange 4 and housing 3.

In the position shown in FIG. 1, the elastic intermediate ring 8 of the support means provides an elastic support for the housing 3. In this position which is normally assumed by the support means, the component 5 defines together with the spindle rail 1 a gap 11. This gap ensures a required degree of movability of the housing 3 with respect to the rail 1.

If it is desired to provide a rigid mounting of the housing 3 on the rail 1, then all that is required is that a fixing means 12 is actuated. This fixing means is shown in its non-fixing position in FIG. 1 where it is a distance away below the rail 1. It takes the form of a nut 12 which is threaded on the extension 10 of the nut 9. When the nut 12 is displaced to its fixing position it is only threaded upwardly along the extension 10 to press against the underside of the rail 1 where it is tightened, which causes the elastic ring 8 to be deformed and the component 5 to be drawn downwardly against the rail 1 to the position shown in FIG. 2. It will be noted that the gap 11 has been eliminated. Thus, in order to provide the fixed mounting of the spindle-bearing housing 3 no conversion of the machine is required. It is repeated that all that is needed is to displace the nut 12 from its non-fixing position shown in FIG. 1 to its fixing position shown in FIG. 2 where it engages the spindle rail 1, deforming the elastic ring 8 and pulling downwardly the component 5 to hold the latter tightly against the rail 1. Thus, through simple manipulation of the fixing means or nut 12 it is possible to eliminate the gap 11 and to change the previous elastic mounting of the housing 3 to a rigid mounting.

Now, by returning the nut 12 to its non-fixing position shown in FIG. 1, the support means will again assume its normal position where the elastic ring 8 provides an elastic mounting for the housing. Again, through a simple manipulation of the nut 12 it is possible to change the condition of the spindle-bearing housing 1 so that the structure is suited either for high-speed or extremely low-speed spindle operation.

With the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, and inner rigid component 5' of the support means of the spindlebearing housing 3 has a downwardly directed portion 13 provided with an exterior tapered surface and extending into an opening 2 of a spindle rail 1'. The fixing means of this embodiment includes, in addition to a nut 12', a ring 14 freely movable along an extension 10 of a nut 9' and having a slotted upper portion 15. The latter is provided with a series of slits or notches extending downwardly from the top surface of the ring 14 to provide the latter between its slits or notches with a plurality of springy tongues capable of being wedged between the tapered portion 13 of the component 5' and the surface of the rail 1'.

When in the case of the embodiment of FIG. 3 an elastic mounting for the housing is required, the nut 12' is displaced to a position corresponding to that of FIG. 1, where it is retracted to its lower position, permitting the ring '14 to be displaced below the tapered portion 13 so all that the support at this time is provided by way of the elastic ring 8'. However, when a fixed mounting for the housing 3 is required, the nut 12' is again displaced along an exterior threaded extension 10' of the nut 9 upwardly toward the spindle rail 1, and now the slotted ring 14 will be displaced into a position clamped between the ring 5' and the surface of the rail 1, which defines the opening 2', pressing against the exterior tapered surface of the component 5' as well as against the rail 1 in the opening 2' thereof. In this way a fixed connection is provided between the inner rigid component 5' of the support means and the rail 1. Thus, any influence of the elastic ring 8' of the support means is eliminated. In effect, a wedge is driven between the component 5 and the rail 1 to achieve the fixed mounting of the housing 3. The advantage of the embodiment of FIG. 3, as contrasted with the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, is that the elastic ring 8' is not deformed so that in this way the ring 8' is rendered more durable.

It will be appreciated that with the embodiment of FIG. 3 also nothing more than a few manipulations are required to optionally provide for the spindle-bearing housing 3 either a rigid or an elastic mounting.

I claim:

1. In a textile machine, a spindle rail formed with an opening passing therethrough, a spindle-bearing housing extending through said spindle rail opening with clearance and fixedly carrying a supporting flange, support means engaging said flange to support said housing on said rail, said support means having an elastic part and a rigid part and normally assuming a position where said elastic part elastically supports said housing, said support means including an outer rigid component being fixed to said spindle rail, and fixing means adapted to move with respect to said support means between a fixing and a nonfixing position, said fixing means when in said fixing position coacting with said rigid part for fixing said rigid part with respect to said spindle rail to eliminate the influence of said elastic part while when Said fixing means is in said non-fixing position said support means assumes its normal position where said elastic part provides an elastic support for said housing.

2. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said support means includes further an inner rigid component engaging said flange of said housing and an intermediate elastic component surrounding said inner component, said outer rigid component surrounds said intermediate elastic component, and a nut is carried by said housing and maintains said inner rigid component fixed against said flange.

3. The combination of claim 2 and wherein, when said fixing means is in its non-fixing position, said elastic component maintains said inner component spaced from said rail defining a predetermined gap therewith.

4. The combination of claim 3 and wherein said nut has an elongated exteriorly threaded extension, said fixing means including a second nut threaded onto said threaded extension of said first-mentioned nut and being held in said non-fixing position, said second-mentioned nut being turnable on said extension to press against said rail and to displace said inner component of said support means in opposition to said intermediate elastic component against said rail for eliminating said gap and providing a fixed relationship between said inner rigid component of said support means and said spindle rail.

5. The combination of claim 3 and wherein said inner component has an exterior tapered surface extending with clearance into said opening of said spindle rail, said nut having an exteriorly threaded surface, said fixing means including a second nut engaging the threaded surface of said first nut, a slotted ring being adapted to be displaced by said second nut toward and away from said tapered surface of said inner component, said second nut, when the latter is in its non-fixing position, displacing said slotted ring away from said tapered surface of said inner component so that said elastic intermediate component supports said housing, and said second nut, When in its fixing position, pressing said slotted ring between said tapered surface and said spindle rail for fixing said inner component of said support means to said rail without deforming said elastic component.

6 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,445,248 5/1966 France.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner 5 W. H. SCHROEDER, Assistant Examiner References Cited US. Cl. X.R. UNITED STATES PATENTS 308152 2,289,903 7/1942 Cotchett 57-130 10 2,486,730 11/1949 Berg 57135 2,650,465 9/1953 Westall 57-135 

